TACKLING SKILLS

“Head over the ball” • “Bend your knees” • “Lock your ankle”

Set players up in pairs with a ball between them and two cones that are 10 yards apart. One player passes to the other then tries a tackle to win the ball back.

The tackler must get on his feet quickly whether the tackle is successful or not.

In a block tackle the defender gets in front of the player with the ball and blocks his progress.

Run through the block tackle with players in pairs. The two players face each other with the player on the ball at first remaining fairly static so the defender can make the tackle.

The tackling player should try to get the correct technique by going slowly through the checklist: head over the ball; bend your knees; lock your ankle.